Have you ever wanted to be a star in the Broadway hit Phantom of the Opera? Get your white mask ready, because the Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center is offering local singers a chance to perform a duet from the beloved musical with one of its most prominent stars.

Mittens check, Toboggan check, Shovel check, salt for driveway not so fast. As this winter approaches faster than we want it to, it is time to check and review your plans for the winter season. If you use salt as a way to melt the ice and snow from your walkway and driveway, the Floyd County and New Albany Stormwater Departments would like to suggest other alternatives that work just as well but are friendlier to our environment, especially storm water runoff. One of the most popular ways to melt snow and ice is the use of rock salt. Rock salt, which promotes the melting of snow and ice, also causes the erosion of masonry surfaces, particularly where the base of the brick or stone building meets the sidewalks. So if you want to prevent replacing these types of surfaces, try of the following, calcium chloride, also known as “white pellets” or “flakes,” which is less damaging to buildings, sidewalks and plants. Even less harmful, is a de-icing product that contains potassium chloride. Rock salt is also ineffective when temperatures fall below 22 degrees Fahrenheit. A build-up of salt can cause your lawn and grasses to “smother” under the snow as the salt prevents your lawns from getting the needed oxygen it needs to live through its dormant stages. Try to spread your de-icer only before a storm is about to commence.

Two of The Depot railroad museum’s volunteers were honored at the Washington County Historical Society’s quarterly meeting Saturday, Nov. 20. Jimmy Snook, Clarksville, was named Volunteer of the Year for his work with The Depot’s caboose and rail car exhibit. Snook, a retired conductor with the Louisville & Nashville and its successor railroads for 40 years, transformed Monon caboose 81402 from a static display to a real-life example of a working caboose. He conducts tours of 81402 for individuals and groups, explains how rail motor cars were used by workers and demonstrates various railroad bells and whistles with an air-powered exhibit he helped design and create.